Destiny Unfolding

I keep getting those letters, e-mails and even phone calls from Spelman asking me to give money. I was reading another blog about what HBCUs do and don't offer and the lack of financial support they receive. I shared the following...

I am a Spelman Woman…and very proud of it. I grew up in an all white and predominantly Jewish neighborhood. I needed Spelman College. I was a young black girl in search of a deeper understanding of what that meant to be a young black woman.

When I crossed those gates, I entered into a world that challenged me. Yes, I was challenged by the long lines for registration. Yes, challenged by the lack of financial aid. Yes, challenged by the registrars “totally off” way of doing things and leading you to believe you weren’t going to graduate because of an error on their end and not yours.
I was challenged by the limiting number (set by the school) of women who were allowed to pledge Greek organizations. I was challenged by my Women’s Studies courses and all the depth they had to offer. AND I was especially challenged by Dr. Weems’ Introduction to Old Testament Class. She walked in, set her things down and we girls (and a few guys) stood in awe of this theological giant. And yes, Dr. Weems, you challenged us when you said, “I am Dr. Weems. I have never taught an undergraduate course. Though this is an undergraduate institution, I don’t plan on changing the way I teach Hebrew Bible.” We looked around and knew we would be challenged.

But beyond the fried chicken Wednesday and fried fish Fridays there was a tremendous gift that was not necessarily taught in the classrooms. When I arrived on the Spelman Campus all of the women looked just like me. We were all African Americas and we were all women. Spelman provided me with a unique opportunity to spend 4 years of my life figuring out what makes me different form all of these women, who externally (according to the senses report) are just like me.

What a tremendously time for me grow, discern real friends, find a sense of direction and learn the value of sisterhood. We were pressed on day one, by Dr. Zenobia Hikes, to spend our time finding our Nia (“Purpose”). At the end of the day, the value of my own self worth could not be taught in the classroom alone, but was a process I needed to engage in order to grow (sometimes late in the midnight hour).

Today, I’m having trouble finding work after attending Princeton Theological Seminary (Lord, it made me appreciate Spelman all the more). But I, with what little I have, have given $25 as often as I can. I do this not just because I should give back, but also because when my student loans are long gone, the gift that this college has given to me will continue. It’s not much, but it is something. Then again, we grew from people who made something out of nothing.

My generation is consumed with the thought of "maximum capacity." Which is to say that so many of us must have the maximum use out of everything, even ourselves. We jump right on in to the deep end...well at least I tend to.

Take for example a Play Station 3 -- or PS3 (which somehow my husband convinced me to buy). The PS3 doesn't just play video games. No, it also plays DVD (blue-ray to be exact), it holds pictures, surf's the web, plays music, can play your games from PS2 and probably a bunch of other things I have no clue about. In other words, it can't just do one things.

I think we treat people like that and it's not good. People are of no use to us if they can only do one thing great. We expect them to great at a long list of things and them expect them to be great at multi-task.

I guess I've been thinking a lot about that, particularly in the context of leadership. My generation is programed to believe that we must do all things well and all at the same time. But what if we stepped back and played to our strengths, knowing that our weakness is someone else's strength.

I am in the midst of trying to form myself into a better leader. I know that God has given me a gift for leadership. However, I am coming to realize that in order to work on my gift of leadership I can't lead in everything, can't be good at everything and certainly can't master everything.

Real leadership, I think I'm coming to understand, is playing to my strengths and finding others to play to my weakness. I don't mean that in a "use people" kind of way. But in the area's where I am weak, someone else is strong.

Furthermore, in the context of the church, we talk about how on 10% of the church does the work. Could that be only because we keep asking the same 10% over and over to assist. If were leading a church, its about finding out what drives the other 90% and helping them find there niche.

In the end, I think Leadership is like preaching. Even if your born with the gifts, you still have to spend time perfecting it.